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Despite not believing in all things supernatural, Shima Tatsuya considered the truth behind the rumors of a curse.
No matter what he tried, that car would not leave his life for good. It was like this devil had chosen to haunt him specifically, and now it was spurred on by another driver. A driver who just refused to give up on it no matter how often he crashed. The guy was obsessed with that car, just like Tatsuya knew he was, too.
His days were spent saving lives with steady hands and cool pragmatism, and his nights were spent flying over the asphalt, fingers clenched around the steering wheel and knuckles white, eyes watching the road and the blue blur ahead of him feverishly, waiting for the inevitable crash and inferno that would finally destroy both car and driver.
No more.
Asakura Akio. A name like an omen, one that Tatsuya refused to watch being fulfilled, not this time. He had met the man personally only a few short times, but their seemingly endless number of shared seconds on the street justified an invitation to dinner. Asakura seemed to agree, as his yes followed the question after only a second of confused silence.
Tatsuya knew what and how much of it to add to a glass of wine to knock a person out for a few hours. It could also be adjusted to a can of soda instead, as Asakura apparently did not appreciate the taste of wine very much. It did not matter.
His beach house was situated in an area that was remote enough for him. He rarely spent time there. Too far away from the city, too far away from his job. But it was perfect to keep a stubborn boy far away from the road.
It was time for Tatsuya to get rid of the fever that haunted him even in his short hours of sleep. His cool pragmatism settled back in, just in time for him to consider how to avoid letting Asakura starve. He would have to drive here every night, he concluded. No races for him until he found a better solution, if there was one.
He hoisted the boy’s limp body out of the trunk. Asakura would feel sore from the uncomfortable position he had been forced to spend the ride in, but it couldn’t be helped. Tatsuya still had about three hours left if he had calculated the dosage correctly, and he rarely made mistakes.
He fetched some of the zip ties from their place in the storage cabinet. Uncomfortable, once again, but suitable for the job. And after all, he knew about possible consequences and how to treat them.
Secured to a bedframe, Asakura did not look like someone capable of getting himself into mortal danger behind the wheel of a car that refused to obey him. Satisfied, Tatsuya left the room.
The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, and the light reflected on the ocean’s surface and filtered through the large windows of the living room. It was only now that Tatsuya felt the tiredness settle in. While preparing to go to bed for a few hours, he thought about what to do with the car. Maybe he would make sure that the blue devil got wrecked for good this time.
But maybe not.
Because as much as it haunted him, it was still beautiful.